In The Name Of Love
by mazcre2807
Summary: Clary. Jace. Izzy. Simon. Alec. Magnus. What do they have in common? Love-struck. What will they sacrifice? For who? And why?
1. The decision

Alternate greenhouse scene

Simon rolled his eyes and exhaled, sitting down on the hard bed in the institute.

"Honestly, I really like her. Great personality, great work ethic- from what I can tell anyway –and plus, she's really hot." He was perched on the edge, his gangly legs bent in all directions. Clary knew Isabelle would never go for Simon, and she could feel sorry for him if it weren't for the fact that she knew him, and knew that really he only liked her because of her irritatingly perfect beauty.

"Well, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for her to come to you. Something tells me she's one for waiting for her victims to plead with her." She was flicking through her notebook, leaning against the plain dresser, on which she had few possessions. She stopped when she got to the sketch of Jace, outlined and refined. She stared at it for a while, immersing herself in his gorgeousness before there was a knock on the door. The book flew out of her hand as she jumped up, irritated and startled.

"Oh, please. When do I ever beg for a girlfriend?" Simon said nonchalantly, leaning his hand back against the blankets.

"Lindsey Carter, Skye Lumley, Rachel-"

"Alright, alright, stop." Simon snapped. Clary listed the names with ease, thinking of quite at least half a dozen more, laughing internally as she pictured Simon sidling up to Isabelle and asking for her number, hands sweating. The image was so easily built up in her mind, she forgot that her legs were dragging her to the door, her arm reaching out, gripping the door-knob and twisting it. On the other side stood a cocky-looking Jace, shoulder against the door frame, one leg crossed over the other, holding his hands behind his back. On him were too-low-hanging jeans and a light blue shirt, top three buttons undone. His hair looked perfectly arranged as usual, and he had a wide smile slowly spreading the width of his face.

"Hi. Um, I…" Clary stumbled for things to say, finding it hard to focus when that many buttons remained unbuttoned, leaving his chest exposed, runes slicked over the hard muscles, engraved into his skin.

"Hey. Doing much?" Voice as smooth as cream, so unfair.

"No, not really. I mean, I've got Simon here." She cursed herself silently.

"I think what she means is, go away. We don't want you here. We're going out in a bit anyway, to celebrate her ever-forgotten birthday." Clary blushed, and cursed Simon as well.

"Well, thank you for that important piece of information, of which I already knew, and is part of the reason I am here. However, I have to be the one to break the news that your plan, little one, is flawed. And now I shall list why, just to further stretch out the inevitable humiliation. Number 1, Clary is not allowed out of the institute for any reason whatsoever, for her own protection, especially not to go to some party/dinner. It is the Shadowhunter law to protect her now, which is _my _job, I believe, not yours. Reason number 2, you are required to rest, as much I do not care and don't wish to attend to you, one reason I am here is to make sure you have some 'down time', and _no one_ is to disturb you." He glanced at Clary. "And number 3, most important in why your plan will not work, is because I have a little plan of my own, and seeing as I live here, I should wish to take Clary somewhere, of my own accord." Clary lowered her head, and looked over at Simon. He was mortified but try to keep up his dignity, which was rapidly shrinking. "I'm not a 'little one' jackass, and I am Clary's best friend, so _I should think_" he said, putting his hands up in mock of Jace, "that she can decide who she stays with. I don't need rest, and you are not relevant to her birthday celebrations. So, Clary. Who'll it be?" He said confidently, knowing she would pick him over Jace.

Jace raised his eyebrows at her, as did Simon, and suddenly she felt like the walls were caving in on her. It probably took Jace a lot to come and ask Clary to go with him somewhere, it seemed, to Clary, like that almost certainly didn't happen a lot to him, having to ask someone to go out, not be the askee. However Simon was right, they had been best friends since she could remember. Maybe a compromise.

"How long do you need Jace?" This provoked two bad reactions. Jace looking thoroughly irritated that he had to keep a schedule on how long to have her for, and Simon looking destroyed at the fact that Clary just chose Jace over him.

"I wasn't aware of the fact that I had to run things on a tight ship in my own home." Jace said sharply.

"No, it's fine. No need for it. Go Clary." Simon turned away, hiding the hurt.

"No, Simon. I-"

"Don't try to explain, Clary. I get it. I'm sure I can Isabelle somewhere. Just… go."

"No, Jace. I'm sorry. I can't leave Simon, he's hurt and scared and-"

"I am not scared!" Simon shouted, scaring Clary a little. He had never shouted at her before. "But what I am, is annoyed. Annoyed that I've been overruled by that." He pointed his finger accusingly at Jace, who put his hands up. "Woah, insult of the year."

Clary whipped her head around. "That is not helping. Simon, please. Let me stay. I want to look after you."

He stood up, stared Clary in the eyes. "I do not need looking after." He shifted his gaze to Jace, ushered them out, and slammed the door without another word.

"Well, that was a little rash." Clary punched Jace on the arm, to which he looked mildly irritated and not a little bit sore, which just angered Clary further.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't tried to be Mr. Cool, I'm gonna steal your best friend without another thought, and actually asked politely, Simon would have let me go."

"What so you're saying you need permission from him?"

"You know damn well that is not what I'm saying." She started to stalk off in her jeans and loose top, without looking back, before Jace called. She heard hurried footsteps, and was a little, ashamedly, glad to know that Jace really did want to spend time with her.

"Wait! Wait. Stop, Ok. I was, I guess some could say, a little bit on the socially unacceptable side."

"That was not an apology." She crossed her arms, and lent on one leg.

"I am." He said reluctantly.

"What?"

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"For upsetting the chipmunk."

"Chipmunk?"

"Simon. Wait, is that his name? Or is it Seril?" He smiled, and she kicked him in the leg.

"That'd not funny. Where are we going?"

"There's a little place I know of, it's got beautiful plants." His hands remained behind his back the whole time…


	2. Sizzy sparks(Short)

He was so angry about Clary leaving him to go off and snog Jace that Simon forgot where he was going until somehow he ended up in the kitchen, where he found Isabelle sitting at the table with her slender, delicate, scar-ridden hands curled around a cup of steaming herbal tea. He was about to quietly turn around and sulk somewhere else when the floorboards groaned underneath him. He winced, Isabelle's head shot up, and within a blink of an eye she was on the table with one of those swords in her hand, her tea spilt over the edge, tidal waving onto the wooden surface. As soon as she noticed it was Simon, she leaped down elegantly, swift as a swan (if a very cold swan) and snatched a cloth from the sink and began vigorously mopping up the milky substance.

"Sorry, didn't mean to… frighten you." Simon said in a small voice, standing awkwardly against the stone wall. She stopped wiping, threw the cloth at the sink, sharply dismissed a piece of dark, swirling hair from her otherwise pale face, and stared him in the eyes. "I wasn't scared, you piece of useless human."

Simon then used the one thing he could do that he knew drove people to insanity when used correctly: sarcasm. "Last time I checked, actually, I am in fact a fully-functioning, whole, meaty human." He bent one arm into his stomach and bowed. "At your service, ma lady."

"Oh, shut up. Don't pretend like you're not pathetically storing pools of sweat in your armpits and various other crevices because of your inane reaction to, let me think now, all girls? Yes, I think that's right, back off. Don't try to flirt with me, or-"She stroked her finger up and down his lanky body from a distance, "-what you _think _is flirting."

"And the tigress is released." He put his hands into a claw and attempted to make a roaring sound. It didn't work, Isabelle retorted.

"By the angel, can I drink my tea in peace now?" She sat back down, sipped her tea and slammed her hand down on the table. Simon flinched from the sudden reaction, hoped she didn't notice.

"It's cold! Do you see how much annoyance you are to me?" Her face turned a little pink, revealing the irritation, rendering her defence useless.

"Ha-ha! I knew it, if I annoy you, surely I mean something to you." He got through the poker-face and into the land of the ice queen. He liked it.

"Congratulations, genius. You mean to me what a fly means to me. Nothing a simple squatting won't take care of." With that, she stalked across the ancient room in her glossed knee-high boots, and tight black dress and bumped Simon on the way out of the door, her silky, black hair showering down over her shoulders, springing up with every step.


	3. KissGoodbye

"This is our greenhouse." Jace said proudly as he crooked a smile in the corner of his mouth.

"More of a warehouse full of plants." Clary said, amazed at the size of the greenhouse, littered with an unfathomable range of flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables. Various sizes, shapes and uses for each and every one. Jace roughly stole Clary's hand into his own. The softness shocked her as he guided her to the top of a metal staircase, winding them through flowers she'd never seen, never heard of as Jace called them out. "Jade Vine." He said causally, hardly having to glimpse the flower, which had flicked up petals and a long stem, the colour of blue in someone's eyes as they catch the light in them. "Parrot's Beak." It looked exactly that. A very orange – almost blindingly so – petal that curved around at the end like a parrot's. 4 of these petals faced inwards, toward the stem of the flower, with the collection of the rare plant at various stages. Their feet boiled up noise on the hard steps, making the steel surface vibrate through their bodies. Once at the top, Clary could feel his breath stirring her hair, rummaging through her senses and settling so as to make her tingle with exhilaration and fear, all at once. Her mind was swirling in the heat and closeness, so much so that she couldn't form words when Jace asked if everything was OK.

"Yeah, it's… I'm… fine. Just- I need-"

"Well, I'm taking that a sign, sit. Get comfortable." Clary felt the heat rush to her face as she clumsily bent her legs under herself and tried not to look awkward in the cramped space.

Jace slowly took his hand out from his back and gave Clary a chance to look at what he held. It seemed to be a rock.

Jace, elegantly as a swan, sat down next to her. Dangerously close.

"You do realise that when a girl says she wants a rock, she doesn't literally mean a rock." She laughed nervously.

"It's witchlight. Every shadowhunter should have one. Good to see you understand sarcasm though. I wasn't sure seeing as all you ever give me is cold looks."

"I didn't know you, and you basically kidnapped me. So forgive me if I don't meet your expectations on my mannerism around my captor."

"You are forgiven, it being your birthday." He said, leaning back on his hands.

"Right, thanks… I guess. Why are we here again?"

"If you're wandering, it lights up in your hands." He said, ignoring her previous question. Clary gently picked the rock from his hand and cupped it lightly. He was right, the rock lit up the room like actual sunlight, just less natural. It was incredible, that she could do that, it was in her blood after all.

"Wow, thank you." She meant it.

"You're welcome. And to answer your question, we are here for midnight. Then, right over there," He pointed to the end of the room to a bunch of ordinary-looking flowers, "you will see something truly spectacular, in my opinion. Any second now." And it happened. The flowers bloomed instantly. No fast motion on a nature programme. They grew and opened up their chasms and spread their petals like a bird spreads its wings upon flight. The magnificent flowers started glowing, turning blood-red and pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Oh, my God." Clary said slowly, taking it in. The beauty, the nature, the magic.

"I know, happy birthday."

Mesmerised, Clary lost control of the rock, letting it slide from her grip, bouncing onto the step below and stopping, as if of its own accord.

As they both noticed, they also both knelt down to pick it up, resulting in a clash of heads. They looked at each other like love-bound idiots. Jace stared at Clary, and suddenly she felt exposed. No one had ever given her _that _look before. The wandering, soul-melting, heart-wrenching, stomach-flipping, back-tingling look of somebody about to lean in. _Oh my God. _Clary thought. _He's going to lean in. He's going to do it. What should I do?_ And he did. The action that raced her heart and dulled her brain. Lips slightly pursed, looking irresistible, Jace leaned into her and gently pressed his lips against hers. And it all felt natural then. She cupped his face, they stood up slowly, never losing contact, eyes closed and blocking out the world around them, and the door closed. They snapped apart, Clary feeling around her desperately for something to hold on to for support, she felt dizzy and float-worthy with lust. They ran to the door, close but not too close, and no one was there.

Jace breathed out a sigh of relief. "Just the wind. Happens all the time. Sorry."

"No, don't apologise. It's not your fault." They looked at each other then, and it was if they were seeing each other for the first time, inn a different light. They stepped towards each other and joined hands, sweaty palms interspersing.

As they walked back to Clary's bedroom, through the ancient halls, the glee was plastered all over their face.

"Oh, damn, the witchlight." Clary said, realising they had forgotten it in the heat of the moment.

"Hang on, I'll get it." Without another glance, Jace jogged back up.

Clary felt dazed by the experience, so lost in her space that she didn't realise any one was there until they were 1 metre from her, and she was staring down at the familiar sneakers. She raised her head to find Simon, face soft and forgiving. _Uh oh. _She had to tell him.

"You kissed him, didn't you?" His face turned hard.

"What?" She said, exasperated and shocked that she couldn't hide it.

"Don't play stupid, Clary. I know you did."

"OK, yes. But it was just a kiss, honestly. Please, don't be mad."

"Mad? Why would I be mad? You're only going around kissing guys who you barely even know, and making yourself look like a pinhead, fawning over him all the time." She nicked Clary's nerves, and she couldn't hold back.

"Me the pinhead? Have you seen how you act around Isabelle? Always "hi I'm Simon, please fall in love with me, I need a girlfriend, and preferably a hot one." And I can kiss whoever I like thank you very much. I don't need you pretending to act like the responsible one, keeping me in check."

"Dammit Clary, I've been in love with you for 10 years." He was shouting at her. "And now, I see that clearly, you don't feel the same way. So, I'm gonna go."

Clary was stunned to silence. Eyes wide, cheeks flushed, and jaw stationary. No sound came out. Simon stormed off, not looking back. Finally, before he turned the corner, he stopped, his footsteps still echoing through the hallway.

"You know, Clary. I don't know why I expected more."

She slid down the cold, unyielding wall and shut her eyes from exhaustion, shame, and stupor.


	4. SHORT clace confide

"He'll come back." Jace was never one for comforting, and now with Clary, he was even worse. He barely knew her and now she was looking to him for some sort of reassurance, and knowing he couldn't do that annoyed him, for no other reason than the fact that that was the one thing that he could not do.

"You don't know him. He can hold a grudge like you can hold a pose." Jace laughed, and shook it off.

"I don't know why you keep taking digs at me." He stepped closer to her, knowing the only way that he could sort things out was by doing what he did best – copious flirtation. He leaned in and closed his eyes, sand felt again the soft cushion pillowing his lips with hers. His spine tingled as he wrapped his arms around her and she reached her arms up to link them around his neck, already on tiptoes. She pulled away shortly and slapped a serious look on her face.

"I have to find him." She said, clearly determined to get it sorted. Why she was friends with him, Jace would never know, but he really thought he could fall for her, and that meant support. _Ugh, support. _He thought, mulling over the range of ways to imply the support.

"I'll go with you if you want." He tried to sound as open as he could, but it was hard when you practically had no soul.

"No. I need to go do this alone." So much for the aided help. When had someone not needed Jace? That's when he realised, he depended on people needing him. Being rejected by Clary made him feel empty, unworthy. And it made him feel sick that he let a basic stranger get to him like that.

"Come on. It'll be quicker with me. I am a shadowhunter at all." The angle of humour seemed to be working as the beginnings of a smile worked its way onto Clary's lips.

"All right, I guess it is easier. But we go on my terms. I don't follow you, you follow me."

"Fine." He held up his hands in a surrender. "Come on, let's find the little weasel." The last comment earned him another kick in the leg, attacking him seemed to be a common occurrence on Clary's part.

"What was that for?" He sounded annoyed to himself, even though it didn't hurt at all.

"He's still my best friend. Only I get to call him a weasel."

"Noted." Jace said, faking pain. He had a feeling Clary would prefer if it seemed like she got to him.


	5. Pandemonium

He needed to clear his head. Just when he was about to embrace Clary with open arms, Simon could see it. Slapped onto that pretty, innocent face. A kiss – simple but effective. And from Hunk of the Year Mr. Dyed-hair-emo. He couldn't think of the last time he had been in love with her, but he knew he was now. Being too distracted with being in love with her had fogged Simon's mind, but he could see it now. He could see how sorely mistaken he had been for thinking she could even have considered returning his feelings for her. Stupid. He had been stupid. And the worse thing was, that she got to him in a way that made him despise himself. She had ruined him and made him feel ashamed that he would be so blind. Ignorance is bliss.

All he knew is, he needed to get over it. This feeling of self-loathing, and quickly.

The nightclub that he had gone to with Clary.

The music was pulsing from inside, leaking out onto the streets, filling the ears of humble passers-by. As he took in his surroundings, he suddenly noticed a change in the atmosphere. More guarded, more tense. Something almost alien intoxicated the air.

He slowly half-dragged himself to the door. He needed to let go, forget his problems, forget Clary…

As he came up to the door, it being 6:00 in the evening, there was no queue. Just a big man waiting to tell him to go home, no doubt. He slumped up to him, stuffed his clammy hands into his denim pockets, hoping to hide his nervousness, and looked the man in the eye. Trying to gain superiority in that type of situation, Simon discovered, was difficult when you're craning your neck up just to look him in the eye. As he desperately tried to look old enough to enter, a girl around his age stalked out of the nightclub with all the confidence in the world. She strutted onto the pavement like it was a catwalk, dangerously close to Simon, in thigh-high boots, a black, cinched-in leather leotard and black fish-net stockings. Over the top, as if to cover herself up a bit, she wore a thin black drape behind her back that floated in the wind, twisting and changing with all the flexibility of a contortionist.

"He's with me." She said in a smoky voice, addressing it to the bouncer but staring intently on Simon. One of her brunette eyebrows, the colour of her hair, was raised sharply, and was promptly put down once she had finished the evaluation of Simon. He felt peculiarly latched to this girl. This stranger. And he couldn't figure out why. All he knew was that she had a very strong, sweet, overpowering perfume that clouded his mind and scrambled his prefrontal cortex, coaxing him out all of all previous judgement on her outfit, her hugely egotistical personality, and most importantly, his control over his own body and senses. He found himself stumbling after her and her crystal blue eyes as she curled her finger in and out, snapped around, and began to walk back into the club, clearly outlining her best features by fluctuating her hindquarters, swinging her hips and rolling her bare shoulders. He was completely, intensely, irretrievably enticed by her and her whole movement. She grabbed his arm, with more strength than a normal human being, and culled him inside the club, where the pumping music matched the rhythm of his ever-quickening heart rate.

"So, what's your name?" She said once they were inside the black walls of Pandemonium. No turning back. They entered the dance floor and he fought for words to escape his dry mouth, but all sounds died on his lips as he shook his head in awe of her. _Her, her, one amazing stranger of beauty. Must not lose her. Cannot detach from her glorious grip._

What was happening to him? He couldn't think straight, couldn't control his thoughts. Why? Had she secretly slipped him something? He didn't care once his mind had vanished again, he slumped back into the seductive mood of the atmosphere. She called to him, her sumptuous lips shaping words, but he couldn't hear. The music was too loud. Too much to handle. His ears were ringing, and he found he didn't care.

She started moving away from him, and he automatically went after her. She went to the bar, said something to the bartender and held up two fingers. Once the drinks were on the counter, she lifted them up and outstretched her glittering arm, offering him the glass with her long, purple fingernails. He complied, held open his hand and downed the drink in one gulp. That did not help. Now his vision was blurry, even more confused than before, and even more encouraged to be near her, close to her. She downed hers too, though looked no worse for it, and they marched back to the dance floor. As more people crowded in, the air was stuffier, everyone's breathe circulating around the room, making it hot. Simon sweated profusely. They were pushed together, slowly closing the gap, and now he could feel her on him. Feel her knees against his, her chest against his, and now her arms around his neck. She was just smaller than him, so looked up with puppy eyes and pursed her lips to make them more irresistible. Simon could think of nothing else to do. He bent down and kissed her, first hard, then soft and considerate. She tasted sweet, non-human, and oddly fierce about the whole event. She pulled him against her and suddenly he felt himself weakening, and she was getting stronger. He felt like his soul was being sucked from him, and he couldn't stop it. The fog cleared from his head, and he felt like Simon again. Nerdy, know-it-all, deeply-in-love-with-Clary Simon. He tried to pull away, but his vision hadn't stopped blurring. Now he was freezing cold, and getting colder. She crushed him into her and didn't let go. Her grip was like iron until finally his legs gave way and he slammed onto the cold floor. She stood over him for a minute, and he could make her out. She was puffing, out of breath. And she turned, the cape sweeping over Simon's face briefly, and left him there. Shivering, helpless, and utterly terrified.


	6. Complicated love

"I have no idea where he would go." Clary shouted at Jace. He was getting on her nerves asking all these questions. They were wondering the streets of Brooklyn, helplessly dragging their legs along the chewing-gum infested sidewalks, hoping for any sign from Simon.

"Alright listen," He stopped walking, grabbed Clary's arm forcibly and swivelled her around to face him. He was a good foot taller than her, but she felt no less superior – being strongly opinionated ran in her family – "I know you're mad at me right now-"

"Mad doesn't even cut it!" She shouted, and since he had a glamour on, people edged away from Clary, scared that she was shouting at nothing. She sighed and, jerking her arm away from his steel grip, she crossed them defiantly over her chest. "Do you have to wear that stupid glamour? I'm pretty sure I look like a crazy person right now."

"Yes I do, actually. If someone saw the weasel come out of the Institute, a demon possibly, I don't want them to see me, there's this thing called the element of surprise."

"I didn't even want you to come! I told you not to! And you wonder why I'm mad."

"I don't want you getting hurt." He tried for a soft tone.

"I don't need your help. He's my best friend, and I don't need a freaking baby sitter."

"I'm not saying that, and you know it. And I'm not a people person, so I can't comfort you. And if I can't comfort you, I do what I do best. I've told you once, I'm a Shadowhunter and I'll protect you with my life."

"Yeah, yeah. That's your duty, it's not like I'm special or anything. Just one kiss and everything."

Now he was mad, Clary could tell. His amber eyes glowed with anger and his face hardened, like he was putting a wall up to hide his feelings. He stepped away from her.

"Don't worry. The kiss didn't mean much to me either." She saw a glint of hurt through the stone eyes.

"Jace, that's not what I'm saying…" It was too late. He was walking in front of her, ignoring her, and Clary was confused, assuming that he wasn't going to help her. "What are you doing?"

"Unfortunately for me," He said with one look over his shoulder "I still have a duty. Now hurry up and let's find Sebastian, I want to get an early night tonight." He stormed off and she had to run with her small legs just to keep up with his prudent yet passionate steps, avoiding the mass of body's hurrying back from work to greet their various loved ones. If only life was that simple, not for Clary, not anymore.

"I'm going to Pandemonium." Isabelle told Alec, who was lounging about on the black leather sofa in the library, silently reading, as if he wasn't actually there. It was a wonder how he breathed, Isabelle constantly asked herself, when he blended in with everything and managed to not move a slight inch of his body, including the natural rise and fall of the chest when breathing. He managed to cover up even that.

"OK, I'll come. Though I don't know where on earth Jace has gone. Probably with Clary somewhere, trying to win her over."

"Although I doubt he's done it. There's something about that girl, she's… different."

"She's gonna get us all killed." Isabelle snorted. Though there was a truth in that, with their lifestyles, it could happen easily.

"You worry too much. And… I think I'll go alone."

At that, Alec looked up at her. "Hodge will never let you. _I _will not let you."

"Alec, you cannot protect me from everything, and you can't tell me what to do. And as far as Hodge is concerned, what's he going to do? Chase me down the street? He hasn't been out of the Institute in years."

"No but he can fire message mum and dad."

"You wouldn't." Alarm bells rang loud and clear in Isabelle's head.

"Oh, I would."

"Please Alec. How about this? I'll go in and I wonder stir up trouble. I'll find a demon, and I'll report back so we can go as a team and kill it." It was Alec's turn to snort.

"Don't be ridiculous. You really think I'm going to fall for that?"

"Oh for God sake's Alec. Grow up. I'm old enough to go out on my own, and I'm an extremely skilled Shadowhunter. Don't be a child and let me go."

He sighed, slammed his book shut and stood up swiftly. I want you to take your steel, 2 swords and your whip. Back in 3 hours and don't do anything I wouldn't do." He recited as they walked to the weapon's room. Isabelle tried to hide her relief and excitement.

"Thanks, I knew you wouldn't tell mum." Alec shoved the weapons her way and raised his eyebrows. "Don't push it." She shut her mouth and he led her to the elevator.

"Oh and By the Angel Isabelle, don't get yourself killed. I'll get blamed."

"I won't, you need me. But what about Hodge?"

"I'll deal with Hodge until you get back." Already having her gear on helped, and she hurried into the elevator before Alec changed his mind.

"Thanks." And the elevator took Alec out of sight as it creaked down to the bottom.

When she got there, Isabelle, prepped out with runes, mentally prepared herself, and strutted up to the Bouncer as attractively as possible. She sneaked him a peak of the Angelic rune beneath her long blue pantsuit, and he let her in. Isabelle knew no one else could see his distinctive white eyes and long fingernails, distinguishing him as part of the Fey. Isabelle, ridding herself of nerves, nonchalantly entered the club, acting like a girl who needed a break from exams – vulnerable. There was something different here though, she could sense that something was wrong, and maybe it wasn't a good idea to be hunting demons when there was a strange atmosphere that could be dangerous. Her chest with her ruby resting on it started pulsing, signalling a demon presence, and Isabelle was about to back away when she glimpsed to the side, and saw a crowd of people around the wall. Her curiosity got the better of her, someone moved away and there was a gap in the ring of people to see what they were fussing over. And she caught her breath. It couldn't be…

Why would he…?

She ran over in her 6 inch heels, something she found easy if not natural now, after years of practice, and reached the circle, where she found Simon slouched against the cold wall, pale and barely breathing. She shoved through the crowd of people, elbowing people who proceeded to curse her, but she didn't listen to them. She needed to get to Simon, because even though she didn't know him all that well, and acted cold so that he wouldn't get any hints, she felt something around him. He had an air that made her think she could trust him, and she could do with someone to be able to trust other than Alec and Jace, who still she couldn't confide in with some of her secrets. She needed to keep him alive, if she had any chance at meeting a normal day, and if there was any normal guy to come by, it would be Simon. She crouched down by his side, and touched his forehead. Stone cold. This was bad. Whoever or whatever had done this to him, they seem to have done a good job in extracting the life from him.

"Back off!" She said to everyone around her who was pushing to get a look. They all went away and continued dancing, not looking traumatised at all. She dragged him with all her strength to a door she knew no one went into. The storage cupboard where they first knew Clary had the Sight. She shut the door and locked it with her stele. As she got out her witchlight and caught her breath, she heard a small moan and Simon moved his head slightly, and stopped breathing completely. She snapped her head around and started pumping his chest. Sometimes good old CPR did the trick. After 5 pumps she opened his mouth and breathed into it, and repeated this process until finally Simon chocked back to life. He coughed and wheezed and stole the air out of the room, and Isabelle collapsed back against the pillar with relief. She actually started laughing then, despite herself and her exhaustion, she found the situation ridiculous as she looked around at various coils of wire and plug sockets overloading the whole area. Simon sat up weakly and slid over to the pillar to share the leaning area. Her shoulder was touching his and she felt a small spark between them.

"What… happened?" Simon rasped with a dry throat.

"I have no idea. I was hoping that when I saved your life, you would tell me." Isabelle joked.

"Well, thank you. But I'm of no help and I guess you wasted your time." He sounded genuinely hurt by the lack of sincerity in Isabelle's voice.

"I'm sorry." She said, which she was not used to saying to a guy she liked, she usually controlled them, not have to apologise. "I just find it ludicrous that I didn't use runes or magic to help you. I couldn't, not on a mundane. You're a real hassle." At that Simon laughed, and then coughed violently.

"Sorry, next time you can leave me to die, Shadowhunter."

"No can do, sorry. It's my duty to protect you morons."

"Fair enough." She could tell he didn't have any energy to share any more banter, but slid his hand into hers daringly. "Really though, thanks Izzy."

"You're welcome, Samson." She said returning the gesture by wrapping her small hand into his large bass-playing one.

"You know full well my name is Simon. Don't act like you don't care."

"Haha, if I cared I would have known when you left the Institute."

He turned his head to face, and she faced him, their lips millimetres from touching. "I like you, Isabelle. I've never said that to a girl before, but let's face it, you saved my life, and I have a new understanding of the world. So I'm telling you, I like you. What do you have to say?"

"Traditionally, I not soppy like you, but having just saved your life, I'm feeling invisible. And you can't really turn me down, so yes Simon. I like you too." To that, Simon looked bewildered and shocked. _He doesn't get the girl he wants very often, does he? _Isabelle thought. She smiled sweetly, and saw Simon's eyes melt. She had him now, she could do whatever she wanted. Reject him. Walk away. Or, kiss him…

She leaned in ever so slightly, and Simon took this as a sign, placing his hand on her hip with one hand, and leaning in. A second later their lips were touching. Simon tugged slightly and she lifted her leg over him and was sitting on top of him, though he didn't seem to mind as he was too busy kissing her. He put his other hand on her other hip as Isabelle put her hands around his neck and kissed him back, with soft, cherry-tasting lips. Simon also, surprisingly, was a good kisser and knew exactly how much control to have. Finally, they drew for breath, Simon with a huge childish grin on his face, and Isabelle with a smirk. She climbed off him and they stood up together. Suddenly Simon seemed to have all the energy in the world and pumped his hand in the air.

"Yes!" He said as if it was a bet that he would kiss Isabelle.

"Easy, tiger." She said, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers together.

He cleared his throat and calmed down. "Sorry." He tried to act cool as she unlocked the door and they walked out. "I knew you liked me." He said, clearly proud of himself.

"Oh really, because it seems unlikely that any girl would be interested in you."

"You do realise you just insulted your own taste in men."

"Alright, OK. Enough, smart-ass." They walked out the night club and into the buzzing streets, and back to the Institute.


End file.
